Once Human
by Miyagi-Chihane
Summary: It didn't matter that she was a Shinigami or that he was an Arrancar. For a very long, long time ago, they were both very much human.   Two-shot/GrimmRuki  -COMPLETE-
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Once Human

**Part:** 1 of 2

**Pairing:** GrimmRuki

**Rating:** T (to be safe)

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Bleach! All hail Kubo-sensei!

**Summary:** It didn't matter that she was a Shinigami or that he was an Arrancar. For a very long, long time ago, they were both very much human.

* * *

><p>It was in the mid-1800s, a time when Japan was not the technological powerhouse it is known today. Back then, modernization had just reached its shores as it opened itself to the world around it like a fledgeling peeking out of its shell cautiously.<p>

On this particular day, the afternoon sun was slowly withering away, its hot rays turning cool as the day gradually surrendered control of the clear sky to the night. One by one, streetlamps stirred to life in this quiet neighborhood at the easternmost part of Yoshida, a coastal town in the Shizuoka prefecture. The streets were filled with students on their way home from school, unmindful of the looming political and economic crisis that was about to befall the nation because of the west's intrusion.

The pleasant buzzing of bicycle chains in motion drifted through the air as young lads in bicycles carried their goods to the night market near the shore. Families greeted each other on the streets and stopped to talk about the weather, the town's welfare and how their children were all growing up too fast. Everybody knew everyone else in this small town and neighbors were considered "family".

The neighborhood was the epitome of traditional Japanese culture. Most of the houses were still built from wood, with cypress bark roofing. They had yet to trade in sliding doors, wooden floored passages and fusuma walls for concrete, steel and porcelain. However, one house stood out from the rest, not only because it was located at the end of the residential block and was two stories tall – it also proudly showed-off its clearly European roots, from its Gothic arches to its stucco walls.

The house belonged to the Norwegian ambassador, and though nobody had actually met the ambassador himself, they were all familiar with his 5-year old son. The little runt was a troublemaker in these parts; stealing fish, vandalizing the houses and once even set fire to a small, wooden doghouse. He was always smug about his mischief, knowing fully well he'd never get punished due to his father's position.

The same boy was now hidden away at the back gardens of the dark, gloomy house. A lone lantern illuminated his youthful, yet glum face as he knelt down on the grass, and with a trowel, started digging a small hole in front of him. Beside him was a large shoebox that was sealed firmly with duct tape. After 5 minutes of digging, tears started to well up in his eyes. Growling in frustration, he wiped the tears away with his soiled hands, his face getting grimy in the process. He didn't seem to mind as he started digging again, carefully avoiding eye contact with the box next to him.

Inside the box was his best friend in the whole wide world. The only one who had truly loved him. The only one who was there for him. Maybe his father was right; he was useless and utterly evil. After all, how could he kill the only things that's ever showed him compassion?

Pantera had been a very loving cat. It shared his passion for adventure, and was wise enough to sense when the boy was feeling down. Every time he got into trouble, the cat would always be there, giving him a look that told him at least someone was still on his side.

And how did he repay Pantera's kindness and loyalty? By wringing its neck and squeezing its chest until it had stopped clawing at him desperately, falling limp in his hands. It had been an accident, he kept telling himself. All he could remember was that he was trying to dye his and Pantera's hair blue using bubblegum-flavored Kool-Aid that his father got from the visiting US navy forces. He had been satisfied with his handiwork when he looked at the mirror and saw his usual light blonde hair stained with blue. He wanted to try it on Pantera, but the white feline was extremely against it. What started as simple child's play turned into something more violent as he gripped Pantera's neck in one hand, with his other hand gripping the cat's chest. He dunked the cat into the Kool-aid filled bucket, which drove the cat into a frenzy for his life. He had struggled to keep the cat from getting away, not knowing that he had put too much force until he looked at his cat, limp and lifeless, dripping in blue liquid.

When he decided that the hole was deep enough, he took the box in his hands and placed it into the crude grave he had dug. He stood up and, using his sneakered foot, shoved dirt over the box. He watched as the box slowly disappeared from view as the dirt covered it entirely. He then stepped on the dirt lightly to even it out, though the patch of brown soil still stood out amidst the green grass.

He knew he was going to get in trouble for the hair later on. His father might slap him around for a bit, but right now he found himself almost welcoming it. The sharp pain that would spread over his cheek is better than the dull pain throbbing in his chest right now. He bit his lip, trying to quell the tears that were threatening to fall.

The comfort brought by the semi-darkness around him was shattered, when suddenly their next door neighbors turned on their lights, bathing the back gardens with bright, yellow light.

"Huh," he huffed, staring at the sliding window made of paper that belonged to his neighbor. "They must be home now," he murmured under his breath.

He had woken up yesterday to the sounds of yelling and frantic voices coming from the neighbor's house. After a few minutes of that dreadful racket, the house fell silent. He briefly wondered if a burglar had found his way in and killed the entire family. It shocked him that such a thought actually amused him. Yesterday and today, there was no movement from the house, as if nobody was home. This was highly unusual, and he found himself uncharacteristically curious about his neighbor's whereabouts. Then, he had heard the maids talking during lunch today and it seemed that Mrs. Ikizawa had been taken to the hospital and had given birth.

He heard laughter emanating from the house next door and for a brief moment, he felt another pang of sadness nip at his chest. Here he was, lonely and dejected after losing the only friend he had, and they were happy celebrating the coming of a new life. Fate was really ironic, it seemed.

He turned his attention back to the grave he had just made for his cat. "I guess I can just find another cat," he mused, although the idea did not please him at all.

"Grimmjow?"

He heard his name being called by a soft and gentle voice. He turned towards the fence that separated his house from his neighbor's house. A girl's head was peeking out from the top of the fence and was waving at him enthusiastically.

"Ahhh," Grimmjow started awkwardly. Although they were neighbors, they didn't really talk and hang out much. He was too busy being mischievous, and she was very sickly and didn't go out of the house very often. At seven years old, she was two years older than him, but her delicate frame and her equally delicate constitution made her look smaller in comparison to him. But here she was talking to him, waving for him to come closer. Grimmjow took two steps in her direction. "What's up Hisana?"

Hisana smiled at him, her indigo eyes twinkling. "Is your dad home?"

Grimmjow shook his head. She didn't even have to ask; he was barely home anyways. The only times he was home, he was either screaming at Grimmjow or slapping him around for some small transgression.

"Well then, come over to our house. We're celebrating. I have a little sister now!" she announced enthusiastically. Grimmjow felt a bit guilty that he couldn't share her enthusiasm, but decided that he had nothing better to do.

"Sure, why not?"

* * *

><p>"She doesn't have any eyes!"<p>

Grimmjow's remark elicited chuckles from the Ikizawa family. This made him feel a bit embarrassed and annoyed. Well, it was true, the little thing was making a fuss in her mother's arms, but she didn't even open her eyes – if she had any under those delicate lids.

"Well Grimmjow," Mrs. Ikizawa explained, "She's just a day old so it's natural that she hasn't opened her eyes yet."

"Really? That's... boring," Grimmjow said, sticking a finger into his ear. He had thought that looking at a newborn baby would be fascinating, but all the little runt did was stretch, cry out in that small voice and move about in her mother's embrace. Pantera was way more interesting than this. He sat beside the low table and helped himself to some food.

Oh well, at least there was food, and for some reason Grimmjow found that the food here tasted better, even if the chefs at his house were more professional and used the best ingredients. He couldn't put his finger on it, but each bite made him feel warm and fuzzy inside, as if the person who made these wanted the person eating it to be happy, instead of just full.

He caught Hisana smiling at him and he smiled back tentatively. He had to admit, he was jealous of his neighbors because they were always laughing and always hugging each other. Even if he didn't have anything else to do, he found himself wanting to stay. The dark, gloomy house now seemed deplorable to him, as if it was some stranger's house, and not his home.

His thoughts were interrupted by Mrs. Ikizawa's voice. "Grimmjow come quick!" she said excitedly. "Little Rukia is opening her eyes!" He stood up and quickly approached her, finding himself getting a bit excited without realizing it.

He peered at the tiny thing bundled in a soft pink blanket. The baby did open her eyes slightly, but her lids were filled with eye gunk, and instead of being fascinated, it made Grimmjow go "eeew."

He heard Hisana giggle behind him as Mrs. Ikizawa took a small piece of cloth that was resting on her shoulder. "Ooops, here let me fix that." She gently wiped the gunk from the baby's eyes so that the next time Grimmjow stepped closer, he could now clearly see her deep purple orbs. The baby's eyes widened when she saw him and her eyes seemed to dance at the sight of him. It made the purple in her eyes stand out more and Grimmjow couldn't help but be transfixed by it.

"Heya squirt!" Grimmjow greeted, when she finally blinked. "Nice to see you decided to do something that's not so boring this time." He grinned at the baby, hoping it would make her smile as well.

The baby blinked twice, as if assessing what he just said, then seemed to narrow her eyes at him. '_Do babies glare?_' Grimmjow wondered. He didn't think so, but he could swear that's what the baby was doing right now. He held out his finger and tapped the baby's hand with it. She immediately grasped his finger in her tiny hand and it seemed like she had no intention of letting it go. Grimmjow felt warmth spreading through his chest, acting like a salve to the deep hurt he had been feeling mere moments ago.

"The baby's name is Rukia, right?" he said, bobbing his finger up and down lightly, seeing if she would let go. She doesn't release his finger and stares at him unblinking. Seeing Mrs. Ikizawa nod, he continued, "She looks just like you."

It was true, in fact both girls took after their mother. All three women had black hair and extremely expressive eyes. Grimmjow snickered at the tufts of black hair that protruded from the baby's head. "It's decided then!" he announced cheerfully.

"What's decided, Grimmjow?" Hisana asked, thankful that the young boy had lighten up. When she'd found him standing alone in the back gardens of their house, he looked really lonely.

"Oi Rukia," Grimmjow said as he peered at the tiny baby closely. "When we grow up I'm going to marry you."

Both Mrs. Ikizawa and Hisana giggled at his proclamation. Rukia on the other hand, simply shook his finger slightly as if giving her consent.

* * *

><p>From that day forth, Grimmjow became a frequent visitor at the Ikizawa household. The house staff didn't seem to mind that on most days, he would run off to the neighbor's house immediately after breakfast, still chewing on his toast, and only return shortly before bedtime. It seemed to keep him out of mischief, as they now received no complaints from the neighbors regarding Grimmjow's antics. The staff welcomed the peace and quiet and they were happy to note that their young master now had a genuine smile on his face.<p>

"She still ain't walkin'," Grimmjow complained as he watched Rukia sleeping on a makeshift crib. The oval basket had two ropes at each end, with each rope tied to a wooden post. The young boy was rocking the basket to and fro gently. "When will she walk?"

Mrs. Ikizawa was trying to sift through some rice, making sure it was free from small bits of rock and dirt. "Well Grimmjow, she's only a few days old. She won't be walking today."

"Tomorrow then?" His blue eyes were hopeful.

Mrs. Ikizawa laughed. "Hmm...not tomorrow either."

Grimmjow frowned. "She does nothing but poop, sleep, pee and drink milk all day. How boring." He crossed his arms over his chest, as if moping about it was going to convince Rukia to do something new.

"But still, Grimmjow comes every single day to see Rukia, ne?"

"W-well, I..." Grimmjow broke off, his cheeks turning red. "I have nothing better to do anyways. Rukia should appreciate that I'm spending time with her. I'm an important person, you know."

Mrs. Ikizawa giggled at this. "Yes, When she's all grown up, I'm sure she'll treasure all the time you two spend together."

"She won't even remember this, I bet. Babies are dumb and can't remember anything."

"That's not true Grimmjow," Mrs. Ikizawa explained. "Even if she may have no memories of it, there are other ways of remembering."

This earned Grimmjow's curiosity. "Other ways?"

"Yes," Mrs. Ikizawa nodded. "Let's say you two get separated and live different lives after this. When you two grow up, if you see each other, you may not remember the other person, but you'll always have this feeling that you met before."

"You're joking ne, Obaa-san?"

"No, it's true!" Mrs. Ikizawa waved a finger at him. "There are memories that we keep in our minds, but there are also memories we keep in our hearts. And those that we keep in our hearts are stronger."

"Oka-san, you're too melodramatic."

The two turned their attention towards Hisana, who had just arrived from school. She kissed her mom on the cheek and went to check on her baby sister. "Grimmjow's a great babysitter ne, oka-san?"

"That he is," Mrs. Ikizawa agreed wholeheartedly, making Grimmjow feel embarrassed. "How was school, Hisana?"

"Good," Hisana looked at Grimmjow. "Don't you have school?"

Grimmjow shrugged. "My dad hired a tutor. He's coming over tomorrow. Dad says I'll just cause too much trouble if I go with kids my age."

"That's true," Hisana said, giggling. Mrs. Ikizawa smiled and tried to keep herself from joining in by concentrating on her task. Grimmjow frowned and turned his attention away from them, choosing instead to look at Rukia. She was awake now and seemed to like listening intently to people's conversations.

"Oi, Rukia, I'm not a troublemaker, right?" Grimmjow asked, gently tapping her fist with his finger. She immediately grabbed his finger and started at him.

"Seems like she's taken a liking to you," Hisana observed.

"Of course!" Grimmjow said proudly, puffing out his chest. "What's not to like about me?"

This elicited another round of giggling from the Ikizawa women, and for a moment Grimmjow thought he saw Rukia smile.

* * *

><p>It was around noon when the rumbling started. It began as a faint tremor, which gradually increased in intensity. Grimmjow had been in the study with his tutor when suddenly the earth beneath him started to move.<p>

"Under the table Young Master, now!" his tutor commanded and Grimmjow crawled under the table, his heart beating rapidly in fear. The books on the shelves tumbled down before the shelves themselves came crashing down seconds later, creating a cloud of dust that made Grimmjow cough several times. The dirt stung at his eyes and he rubbed at them desperately. At first he thought his tutor was in trouble, but when he opened his eyes again he saw that the shelves had formed a tent above them, and his tutor was safe and sound, though slightly dazed. He could hear shouting all over the house, plus a couple of screams from the maids. Was someone hurt? Because if they were -

"Rukia!" Grimmjow's eyes widened as he thought about her fragile and tiny body. Was she okay? She was so small, what if something fell on her-

Slowly he peeked out from under the table and after deciding that it was relatively safe to come out, he slowly crawled out from underneath the now dusty table and started navigating through the fallen shelves, books and broken vases towards the door. He was nearly there when suddenly his tutor grabbed the back of his collar, reeling him back into the room.

"Young master it's dangerous to go out there!" his tutor cried out. Grimmjow kept struggling against his bewildered mentor until some of the household help arrived and he realized he was outnumbered. They were coaxing him to calm down and against his will, he stopped trying to squirm out of his mentor's grasp.

"Are you hurt young master?" asked Kaoru, his personal maid, as she shoved her way through the crowd that had gathered to get to him. She looked at him and examined his arms and legs for any bruises. Behind her, his father's messenger boy appeared, all dusty and sweaty from running.

"S-sir Jaegerjaquez is helping p-people evacuate towards the shrine. They...they said the earthquake was r-really strong and might cause a Tsu-tsunami so everybody's going to higher g-ground." the messenger boy said between gasps for air.

There was silence in the room and Grimmjow felt himself getting angry. His father was out there playing hero, but he didn't care what happened to his help and his son? His fists were closed so tightly that he could feel his nails digging into his palms. He gritted his teeth and felt abandoned by his father for what seemed like the nth time during his short lifetime.

Kaoru saw this and hugged him. "Young master it's okay. The house has three floors and an attic above the third floor. This is a very sturdy house, we'll be safe here. And I'm sure everyone's been evacuated, including the Ikizawas next door." She knew how close Grimmjow had gotten to the family and wanted to ease his worries. She stood up and held her hand out to him. "Let's go up then okay? We'll build a fort up in the attic. It will be fun, I promise."

Grimmjow stayed silent for a while before taking the hand Kaoru was holding out for him. He didn't really know what was happening, but Kaoru was someone he trusted dearly. And if she said the Ikizawa's will be okay, he's sure they will be.

* * *

><p>"Hisana, stay close to me," Mrs. Ikizawa called out, trying to hold on to her eldest daughter with one hand while the other clasped Rukia against her chest.<p>

"Here," Mr. Ikizawa took Hisana's hand and hoisted her up, giving her a piggyback ride. From her new vantage point, Hisana now had a better view of what was happening. People, in a panic for their lives, started running up the mountain road towards the Shinto shrine on top. They said there was going to be a huge tidal wave that would swallow the whole town and they had to go up higher in order to avoid it. The road was filled with people pushing against each other, trying to get to the top first. Hisana, with her weak constitution, had felt ill when they passed by people who were wounded or had fainted because of the restless crowd.

Thankfully, Rukia was blissfully unaware of the commotion, and as long as she was nestled against her mother's heartbeat, everything was okay in the world.

Suddenly, she felt her father's step falter and he swayed slightly as he tried to regain his balance. Hisana thought at first that her father was growing tired, but then she saw mostly everyone had trouble keeping their balance. The ground was shaking again.

"An aftershock!" someone screamed up ahead.

"It's too strong!" another person cried out.

"Run for your lives!"

Mrs. Ikizawa cried out as people started pushing and shoving around them. Mr. Ikizawa told Hisana to hold on tightly as he put one arm around his wife and youngest daughter, to protect them from the stampede. Suddenly, someone knocked into them, and Hisana felt herself falling to the ground. She fell on top of somebody and she cried out as she felt someone stepping on her back. She coughed violently and tried to breathe, even as she felt herself suffocating. Then suddenly, the pressure was gone. It seemed that suddenly, everyone stopped moving.

Then the screams came.

Hisana looked up and gasped in horror as she saw a huge part of the mountainside crumbling and was now falling towards them.

"Landslide!" she heard someone shriek.

She could vaguely hear her parents crying out for her when the pressure on her chest returned and the surroundings faded into a hazy blur.

* * *

><p>Hisana was walking along the muddied road, barefoot, carrying her younger sister Rukia, who was bundled in a dirty blanket. She couldn't remember how she found Rukia, or where her parents were, but her mind was still in a daze. She knew she was bleeding profusely; something was lodged against her side, something sharp that was causing pain with every step she took. She didn't want to look at it and she knew she didn't have to. She could feel the blood dripping down her leg.<p>

The road before her moved in and out of focus. She felt like she was growing weaker by the second. "H-help," she croaked in a hoarse voice. She needed to find someone to help her little sister. It didn't matter what happened to her, just as long as Rukia was safe.

"Ah!" she cried out as her foot slid against a rock jutting out from the mud. She fell sideways and she screamed as the pain on her side intensified when she hit the ground. She could feel something metallic and coppery rising at the back of her throat and she tried to hold back tears as fear started to overwhelm her. She needed to be strong. Her parents were nowhere in sight so she had to be strong for Rukia.

_Rukia. _Hisana looked down at the baby she carried in her arms. She didn't wake or cry out during the fall. The fear in Hisana's heart increased tenfold. "Rukia?" she tentatively shook the baby. Nothing.

"N-no!" Hisana wailed as she shook her younger sister harder. She pressed her hand against Rukia's tiny chest. Nothing. She placed a finger underneath the baby's nose. She wasn't breathing. She held her sister close to her face. Rukia's lips were pale and had a mild bluish tint to them.

Hisana choked back a sob. "S-somebody! H-help!" she managed to cry out, even as it became harder and harder for her to breathe. She coughed and the metallic taste seemed to spread over her entire mouth. "H—help!" she continued crying out, "My baby sister! She needs a d-doctor!"

Only silence and the sound of her labored breathing answered her cries for help.

* * *

><p>"Hrm..." Hisana groaned as she opened her eyes slowly. The mountainside road swam into view as she blinked several times, until she could see everything around them. For a second or two, she forgot where she was and what happened, but the scene in front of her quickly jolted her back to reality.<p>

She could see an arm jutting out limply from the thick layers of mud on the road. The smell of death mixed with blood and dirt was too strong and it made Hisana reel back in disgust. She wanted to vomit so badly.

Then it suddenly dawned to her. If the smell was too strong, it meant she was breathing properly. Curiously, she placed a hand against her chest to see if it rose and fell normally. To her surprise, she felt something metallic against her chest. At first she thought it was the thing that pierced through her before, but then she remembered the wound was at her left side.

Looking down, she was shocked to see a chain protruding from the middle of her chest. Even more strange was the fact that her clothes were clean and she wasn't bleeding.

The sound of crying alerted her to the bundle she carried in her arms. Rukia had woken up and was now making quite a fuss. "Rukia-chan!" Hisana gasped. "You're okay!"

Rukia looked more than okay; it seemed as if she had not just undergone a tragedy and was just out for a leisurely walk with her older sister. Rukia's cheeks were pink, and so was her lips. Her eyes were wide enough that Hisana could see the purple in her irises.

Although she was glad Rukia was okay, it puzzled Hisana immensely. She could still remember shaking Rukia, trying to rouse her. She could still recall her heart breaking as she realized her younger sister was dead. She knew she had called for help and didn't stop shouting until her last breath left her.

Was it all just a dream?

Suddenly, a man appeared before them. Hisana looked at him intently – he had messy brown hair, a beard and was a little on the heavy side. At first she thought maybe he was one of the shrine guards because he was wearing a black kimono. She was about to beg him to help her and Rukia when she noticed he was carrying a sword.

When the man unsheathed the sword that was tied to his obi sash, fear gripped Hisana and she instinctively held Rukia closer. _What was going on?_

The man took no notice of this and instead surveyed the surrounding area. He frowned. "Maa, this is going to take some time to clean up." He looked back at Hisana and he tried his best to give her a friendly smile. "Hey there kid, don't be afraid, I'm a Shinigami."

_Shinigami. Death God_. Hisana's eyes widened and she wished this was just another dream she would wake up from. She knew what a Shinigami was, but they were just characters in stories and legends. "Please, we don't have any money," Hisana begged. "But please help me and my sister. Please take us to a doctor."

The man looked at them, a tinge of pity passing through his carefree features. "I'm afraid I can't do that kid. You're already dead."

Hisana didn't have time to process the gravity of his words because at the next moment he knelt down next to her. "Listen, I'm going to perform Konso on you and your sister. A lot of people died, and I'm sure not all of them are going to be pure souls. Some of them may turn into hollows and attack you so I need to send you to Soul Society now."

"W—what?" Hisana didn't know what was happening. She had stopped trying to understand him when he said Konso and simply comforted herself in the thought that this was too surreal and was probably just a dream.

"It's okay, it won't hurt and Soul Society is a nice place. I'm going to send you and your sister together so you don't get separated okay? You'll be safe there."

Hisana brightened at the word 'safe'. Anywhere but here was good enough for her. She looked at her baby sister, who was sucking her thumb contentedly, and nodded at the Shinigami.

"Okay," he took his sword and held it with the blade facing away from Hisana. She looked at the base of the hilt, which started to glow. A character started to materialize on the base, but before Hisana could make out what it was, the man tapped the base against her forehead.

Suddenly, she was blinded by a bright light. At first Hisana felt afraid, but then she could feel herself slowly relaxing against the feeling of warmth that came rushing in from all directions. She could no longer smell death, and it felt like a huge weight on her shoulders was suddenly lifted.

She never felt this free her entire life.

She felt as if she had finally come home at last.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> Re-edited the fic and the pacing of the chapters. So now it's back to a 2-shot. I really should stop estimating how long my fics are going to be because they all fail. LOL. I was typing out the third and last chapter when I realized that the third chapter was as long as chapters 1 and 2 combined so... yeah .


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Once Human

**Part:** 2 of 2

**Pairing:** GrimmRuki

**Rating:** T (to be safe)

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Bleach! All hail Kubo-sensei!

**Summary:** It didn't matter that she was a Shinigami or that he was an Arrancar. For a very long, long time ago, they were both very much human.

* * *

><p>Grimmjow was hunched over in the tiny corner of the attic, his arms hugging his knees protectively. It was nighttime now, and the tsunami that scared everyone off didn't materialize. He supposed it was good news, because then tomorrow the townspeople would return from the shrine and he would see Rukia again.<p>

However, things weren't going well in the household. Without the master of the house, most of the househelp had fled in fear of their lives. Grimmjow couldn't care less if they all left, however most of them took a souvenir: a painting, some jewelry, even the cutlery was not spared from their thieving hands. The only one that remained was Kaoru. She had stayed with him and held him as the aftershock shook the wooden floors beneath his feet. She had only left him to go downstairs, trying to fix them something to eat.

He stared at the candle, which was placed on top of an overturned cup. He was still worried about Rukia, she was a baby after all and she was still so fragile. He worried about Hisana too and wondered if she was going to get sick again because of this whole ordeal. He just wanted the family that had adopted him as their own to be safe. He wasn't even surprised to find himself worrying about them, but he couldn't care less if an entire building toppled on top of his own father.

"I guess dad was right," he murmured into his knees, his eyes never leaving the candle. "I am a bad person I guess."

A scream caused him to look up and and freeze in fear. "Kaoru nee-chan!" he gasped as he recognized the voice. Grimmjow stood up and despite the fear that was threatening to paralyze him, he rushed towards the door and looked over the stair railing for any sign of his personal maid.

He was about to go down the stairs when he heard the sound of a gunshot echo throughout the house. His eyes widened and he wondered briefly if Kaoru had stumbled onto his father's secret gun room. It wasn't exactly legal, but a few people inside the house knew about its existence, Kaoru included.

Suddenly, Grimmjow felt a pang of doubt tear at his heart. Was Kaoru trying to steal the guns ? He only allowed himself to ponder on it for a second before shaking his head. Kaoru would never do that, and why would she just fire the gun like that? Unless...

"Oh no, Kaoru!" Grimmjow cried out as he ran down the stairs as fast as his tiny legs could manage. The thought of Kaoru in trouble had caused adrenaline to surge through his veins, and the consequences of his actions flew out the window – he only wanted to make sure the only person who stayed with him was safe. He ran towards the east wing of the house, where his father's study was. Behind the study was the gun room, partially hidden by a bookshelf.

As soon as he stepped into the office, Grimmjow knew something was wrong. The smell of blood and gunpowder filled the air and he almost wanted to turn around and run away. With his hands stiff at his sides, Grimmjow took a careful step forward into the darkness. The moon's pale white light was streaming in through the window and he could see that the bookcase had fallen over - probably from the earthquake – and the gun room was now fully exposed.

As he stepped closer to the bookcase, he saw something on the ground to his left. Fear gripped him as he saw Kaoru, writhing in pain on the ground, blood pooling around her.

"Kaoru!" Grimmjow ran towards his personal maid, but stopped short as she looked at him with terrified eyes.

"N-no!" she gasped in between labored breaths. "Y-young master! R—run p—please!" She tried to reach out to him, but her hand had barely gone up a few inches before it fell back to the floor, lifeless.

"Lookie what we got here!"

Grimmjow turned around and saw three men walking out of the gun room, their arms bearing his father's prized collection of rifles and repeaters. As Grimmjow turned his gaze from one man to the next, he realized that one of them was none other than his tutor.

"You bastard!" He growled. His tutor merely chuckled, while his two companions whistled and made mocking noises.

"Aaah, such strong language from such a small child," his tutor said, cradling the rifle he held over his shoulder proudly. "Your father had all the money in the world yet he couldn't buy you manners."

"You thieves! Put those back! Bring Kaoru back!" The sight of the guns in their hands didn't faze Grimmjow. All he could see in his mind was Kaoru's face, how her features were contorted into fear before they relaxed and became stiff, her eyes wide open and staring into nothingness.

"Ah the maid," one of his tutor's companions shook his head in mock regret. "Pity, she was pretty, but very very nosy. Seriously, everyone's gone, what's wrong with taking these?"

Grimmjow's tutor eyed Kaoru's lifeless body with disdain before saying curtly, "that kind of loyalty is stupid, really."

"Oi boss," the third man said, turning towards the tutor, who seemed to be their leader. "Shall we off the brat?"

"Naaaah, just leave him," addressed their leader. "Let him cry for a bit before his daddy comes back for him. He's harmless."

The three made a move towards the door and Grimmjow, who was previously glued to the spot as the image of Kaoru burned into his mind, found himself suddenly lunging, almost against his will.

It felt like he had no control over his body whatsoever. All he saw were the images of the men before him, looming closer as he sped towards them. He saw the looks of surprise on their faces as they turned around to look at him. He saw his tutor raise his arm in defense and the next thing he knew, he was sinking his teeth into it, the coppery taste of blood exploding into his mouth.

"Shit!" Grimmjow heard his tutor hiss and he looked up to see the older man grimacing in pain. Not satisfied with the wound he had inflicted, Grimmjow grabbed the man's hair in order to pull him down and with his free hand, jabbed his fingers into his eyes.

He heard screaming before a sharp blow to the back of the neck had sent him sprawling to the floor. Grimmjow winced as he a foot stomped on his chest and he looked up to see his tutor's henchman looking at him with an evil grin on his face.

"Wrong move little boy," the henchman hissed, pointing the gun he had in his hand at Grimmjow.

Grimmjow shifted his gaze towards his tutor, who was hunched over in agony, as the other henchmen watched over him, panicking. Grimmjow felt his fingers wet with blood and a smile slowly made its way to his lips as he gave the man on top of his the coldest glare he could muster.

He saw the man's face falter for a bit before clouding over with anger. The last thing Grimmjow saw was the barrel of his father's favorite repeater before everything went black.

* * *

><p>Grimmjow sat on a tree trunk that had fallen from the earthquake, his lips curled in disgust at the sight before him. It was a cloudy morning and he was on the front lawn, a few steps away from the crowd that had gathered around his father. His father had a sad look in his eyes and to the initiated, it may look like he was feeling deep emotional pain, but Grimmjow knew better. His father was a great actor and playing the part of the mourning father was as easy to him as breathing.<p>

He listened as his father delivered his speech – rehearsed for hours, no doubt – about how he condemned whoever murdered his son and would not rest until the killers have been found. For a moment, Grimmjow felt agony in his father's voice, but then again the thieves had taken his favorite repeater.

_He must be pissed about that then_, Grimmjow mused. The crowd turned their attention away from his father as volunteers brought out two stretchers, both bearing bodies covered by white sheets stained with blood. Grimmjow looked at the stretcher with the outline of a tiny body etched against the white fabric.

_That must be me_. It felt weird, looking at your own corpse as it was being carried away. As the stretchers were moved passed the crowd, Grimmjow hissed at his father, who continued talking to the people around him, not once looking at his son's dead body. "Stupid old man," Grimmjow murmured. He didn't know why he bothered – why even at the last moment he wanted his father to show even just a glimmer of sincere compassion.

"Sucks," he grunted as he shoved off the tree trunk and slowly made his way to the back gardens. Along the way, he felt something brush against his leg. He looked down and smiled as he saw Pantera rubbing its cheek against his leg lovingly, as if telling him he was forgiven.

"Hey there," Grimmjow said casually, as if everything was okay with the world. As if he wasn't talking to his dead cat, which he killed with his own hands. As if he wasn't dead himself, with his white shirt practically drenched in blood, with a chain jutting awkwardly from his chest, swinging from side to side with each step he took.

He bent down to pick up his cat and cradled it in his chest. Then, using a tree that had fallen over as a bridge, he made his way towards Rukia's house. "Let's wait for Rukia together then okay? I swear, you'll really like her."

Pantera purred contentedly in his arms, as it poked at the chain curiously.

* * *

><p>Grimmjow leaned against the wooden post with his arms supporting his head and let out an impatient sigh. He was sitting down on the dusty floor in the abandoned house that once belonged to his future bride. He had lost track of time, but he knew it had been days since the earthquake and there was still no sign of Rukia nor her family. He could tell it had been a long time since he has watched so many sunrises and sunsets since he had declared the abandoned Ikizawa house his new home.<p>

Pantera was in front of him, lazily playing with the chain that lay just below his ribs. Grimmjow watched as his cat pushed the chain from side to side with its paws, its head turning left to right in rhythm with the chain's movements.

"Nobody's home eh? I thought some relatives would at least pass by."

Grimmjow's ears twitched as he heard a voice near the front door. He rushed towards the door with Pantera at his heels. He was about to pass through the door when he heard a laugh that made him frown. Strange, it didn't sound like Mr. Ikizawa at all.

"Takeshiro, I'm glad I followed your advice and stayed put instead of going to the shrine," said another voice. Grimmjow stayed by the door and listened in on the conversation. The first voice was not familiar to him, but the second one – the one that laughed – belonged to a neighbor who was a fisherman. Grimmjow knew him well; he had stolen fish from the same man time and time again just to piss him off.

"They were really nice, you know," the man called Takeshiro said, his voice filled with sadness. "The Ikizawas didn't deserve to die."

Grimmjow felt like something had punched him in the gut hard, and he fell to the floor as his knees gave way. He tugged against the chain as he felt his insides burning, as if a smoldering fire was trying to escape from his chest. He felt like he was suffocating and he tugged at the chain harder, in an attempt to breathe.

"No, it can't be," he gasped out in a small voice, as he felt the heart he didn't know he had thudded loudly in his chest. "Ru...kia..."

"All of them? Even the girls?"

"Yes, even the girls. Sad isn't it?"

_No, NO! _Suddenly, Grimmjow cried out as he shook his head, as the pain in his chest got stronger and traveled like small lightning bolts to his fingertips, his whole body tingling with this strange new sensation. He looked down at his chest and his eyes widened when he saw that the area around the chain was slowly dissolving into a black void with dark clouds of mass swirling around the chain.

Then suddenly, it was as if his senses were heightened. He looked at Pantera, who was looking at him worriedly. His cats face seemed distorted and zoomed in, even though it was far away from where Grimmjow was. He could see every detail on his cat's face, even with the great distance between them. The two voices outside were amplified and it felt like they were speaking right into his ears.

"No!" Grimmjow growled as he covered his ears as the two continued talking about the poor family's demise. "Lies! LIES!" He tried to tune them out but it was no use. The more he tried, the louder the voices were.

"Ah!" He was suddenly forced to hunch over, with his hands gripping his chest as a sharp, blinding pain shot through him. Cold sweat started to pour down his temples and his hands were shaking against his will. "Ru...kia," he managed through gritted teeth. "S-she'll be back. I know i-it!"

The pain was gone in an instant. Grimmjow sat up and stared at his chest to find that the black void had disappeared. Palms sweaty and breathing heavily, he allowed himself to fall to the floor. He curled his body into a fetal position to stop the trembling. _What is happening to me?_

He felt a strong burst of energy which caused his breath to hitch in his throat. A man wearing black traditional Japanese clothing had materialized from above and was looking around the house, a sword slung over his shoulder casually.

"That's odd, I thought I sense the reiatsu of a Jibakurei around here," the newcomer mused. He looked down and his eyes widened in surprise upon seeing Grimmjow laying there. "Oi, little boy, are you okay?"

Grimmjow didn't speak and simply looked up as the man knelt beside him and checked him for wounds. "There's a Jibakurei around here," the man said, worriedly. "Did it come here and hurt you?"

Grimmjow shook his head as he slowly sat up. "Are you dead too?"

The man laughed. "Well, kinda. I'm a Shinigami. It's good that I got to you in time. Any later and that Jibakurei might have attacked you." He shifted his sword in his hands, which made Grimmjow shrink back.

"What are you doing?" Grimmjow asked, afraid. Why couldn't people just leave him alone so he could wait for Rukia in peace?

"It's okay. This is to protect you. It will take you to Soul Society, a peaceful place."

Grimmjow shook his head. "No! I'm waiting for someone. I can't leave!"

The man frowned. "It's dangerous here kid. Now come on, don't be stubborn." The man scooted closer to him, which made Grimmjow turn away hurriedly.

"No!" Grimmjow cried out as he violently pushed the man away and ran. He heard the man gasp in surprise, then call out for him to come back, but Grimmjow paid him no heed. He was not going anywhere. He was going to wait for Rukia, even if it took a long time. He felt his young legs burning as he pushed himself to keep running.

Suddenly, he remembered what the fisherman had said. "Rukia is... ack!" The pain in his chest started to creep back in, but Grimmjow pushed thoughts of despair away from his mind. _No, even if she is dead, she can return._ Grimmjow thought with determination. _If I returned and Pantera returned, there's a chance she'll return too._

* * *

><p>Grimmjow waited until the next day before returning to the wooden house. He wanted to make sure that the weird man in black was not there anymore. He didn't want to spend the entire time running away from that man while he was waiting for Rukia to return. "Sheesh, what is wrong with him? Can't take no for an answer..." he said as he ran his hand through his hair.<p>

He stopped suddenly as the house came into view. He didn't even look at his own house anymore; to him, it was a stranger's house and he couldn't care less about it. Instead, he made a beeline for the front door...

….only to stop a few steps away when he heard people rummaging about inside.

Grimmjow quickly passed through the door, expecting to see Mr and Mrs Ikizawa smiling at him, with Hisana scolding him for not coming back sooner. Instead he found strangers gathered in the main area, surveying the rubble. A territorial hiss escaped his lips; a trick he learned from Pantera.

"Goodness, a lot of work needs to be done," a brown-haired woman in her 40's said. "But still... it's nice to be back in the family house after all these years."

"Pity though, that your sister had to die. Such cruel circumstances," a lanky man with black cropped hair held the woman in his arms as she sighed sadly.

"Well, this house is technically ours now, so we should clear it out or something. Get it back into shape so we can sell it."

"What?" Grimmjow shouted, although he knew they couldn't hear him. "Don't sell it! Where would Rukia live when she returns?" He knew it was hopeless. They didn't even know that a small boy was standing only a few steps away from them.

"You don't want to live here?" the man asked the woman curiously.

"What?" the woman laughed. It was a cold laugh and Grimmjow wanted to slap that laugh off her face. "Me? Live here? Surely you must be joking. I love my sister and all, but marrying that man... did you know they got this house because he couldn't provide one for her himself?"

Grimmjow felt his palms sting as his hands wound into tight fists, shaking with rage that he tried to hold back desperately. He didn't want to experience the same pain he felt yesterday. "Oi woman!" he yelled, baring his teeth. "Don't you dare talk about this house that way!"

His words fell on deaf ears as the woman turned around and continued surveying the room. "Oh, what's this?" She knelt down and took something half-hidden underneath the rubble. With a jolt, Grimmjow realized that what she had in her hands was Rukia's crib basket.

"Poor kids," she sighed. "Hisana was so sickly because they couldn't take care of her. Then they have another baby. I told her, she should have just gotten rid of it."

Grimmjow felt his eyes clouding over with rage. It took every ounce of his strength to stay rooted to his spot when all he wanted was to lunge at the woman and dig his nails into her neck. That would shut her up for sure.

She gave the basket over to her husband, who looked at her quizzically. "Throw it, " she said coldly. "It's not needed anymore."

_No._ Suddenly, Grimmjow felt as if his heart had stopped. The man's footsteps seem to echo loudly in his mind, each step pounding into his brain like a rusty nail. He couldn't see anything, everything around him was a hazy blur.

Everything but the basket.

_No, Rukia... no!_ He wanted to cry out, but found that as he opened his mouth, no sound came out. His eyes narrowed into slits as he tried to focus on the man carrying the basket. "Leave it alone!" he managed to hiss, his voice sounding distorted to his own ears. "That's not yours!"

Suddenly, the pain he felt yesterday came rushing back, this time with extreme force that caused him to writhe in pain on the floor, with his chest hunched over. _Not now_, he thought, as he tried to sit back up, but couldn't. The chain felt so heavy that he couldn't lift himself from his current position.

He extended a shaking hand towards the man. "Rukia... she'll need that when she comes back! D-don't -" he couldn't finish what he was saying as he felt his chest constrict, as if he was being crushed from all directions.

The man was almost out the door and was just two steps away from Grimmjow. He cursed at the strange pain that was overwhelming him now, rendering him helpless as a stranger took away one of his beloved's precious possessions. ".him," he gasped out between pants. Gathering all that's left of his strength, he grabbed the chain on his chest and pulled with all his might.

A blinding pain coursed through his body as the chain broke free. Grimmjow screamed in pain as he felt a deafening ringing in his ears, feeling as if his whole body was going to shatter because of the sound. A strange, ominous energy was traveling through his body and he could feel sharp, prickling pains as the energy passed, before numbness set in.

"Argh!" he growled in a thundering voice, one that sounded alien to him. To his ears, it sounded like an animal about to pounce on his prey. The growl had caused his energy to ripple and spread outward. The force was so great, even the unsuspecting humans had looked around in shock.

"What was that?" the man, just inches away from Grimmjow, asked.

The woman shrugged. "A small aftershock? Anyway just get rid of that damned thing."

As he saw the man pass by him, Grimmjow shot an arm out and held the man's leg in a tight grip, eliciting a "what the fuck" from the man. Grimmjow looked at his hands and saw that his fingers were now longer and were shaped like claws. His arm was covered in a shell-like armor. "Give it back," he ordered, before digging his claws into the humans legs and dragging it across the skin.

Grimmjow heard screaming as a fountain of crimson poured from the man's leg. In an attempt to stop the bleeding, the man bent down to try to clamp his hand over his leg. Grimmjow leapt up into the air and lunged at the man, burying his newly developed fangs into the man's shoulder. More screaming ensued as he shook his head, tearing away the skin and blood vessels underneath in the process.

He watched with satisfaction as the man lay before him in a pool of blood, his body twitching as it struggled to stay alive. Grimmjow had turned his attention to the woman, who was still shrieking.

"SHUT UP!" he all but screamed as he enclosed the woman's face like a vice with his now enlarged hands. He started to close his hand, the woman's cries becoming muffled as her face was scrunched up. The sound of her skull cracking and the deafening silence that followed was music to Grimmjow's ears.

* * *

><p>A familiar energy signature had interrupted Grimmjow from admiring his bloodied handiwork. He turned around and smiled as he caught sight of the man in black robes. The look of worry that he wore yesterday was now replaced by grim determination and anger. He clutched his sword, poised to attack.<p>

_Nice to see you again_, Grimmjow wanted to say, but all that came out from his lips was an animalistic growl. It seemed that he was becoming less and less human. He didn't get a chance to see what he looked like, but he knew nobody would think that underneath that armor, claws and fangs was a young boy.

"Prepare to die, hollow!" the man in black robes cried out. Before he could take another step however, another strong energy signature pulsed throughout the land, and even Grimmjow felt the force of it through his new skin. His surroundings disappeared in a blur for a few seconds. When his eyes regained their focus, he saw that the man who called himself a Shinigami now had his back turned to him.

"Shit!" he cursed. "It's a Kumon." With that, he disappeared right before Grimmjow's eyes. Curious, he stepped out of the house and looked up in the direction the Shinigami was looking at. A giant hole had formed in the sky, ripping apart the sunny and cloudless morning. A large creature emerged from the hole, towering over the small, quiet town. It was completely draped with a black cloak and on its face was a mask with an elongated and pointed noise. It howled as it stepped out of the hole in the sky and slowly moved towards the center of town.

Grimmjow stood, mesmerized at the powerful being that had appeared before him. Each time the creature howled, it felt as if it was beckoning to him, calling out to him. He felt his body act without his knowledge, as it stepped closer to the creature and the black hole behind it. It was as if the howling was music and it had him in a trance.

Looking around, he saw that he was not alone. Many creatures with black and white armor, all of different sizes, were emerging from their hiding places and were moving towards the large creature as if they were hypnotized. Grimmjow leapt up and hovered above the ground for a few seconds before slowly floating towards the black hole.

As he neared the creature, Grimmjow saw its mouth opening and for a second he was blinded by a bright, red light. When his eyes had adjusted themselves to the light, he saw a swirling red orb forming, slowly growing in size in its mouth. Without a warning, it shot out a bright red beam towards the city. The force was so great that Grimmjow, who had been hovering near the creature, staggered backwards. Once he regained his balance, he looked at the ground just in time to see the man in black robes being consumed by the red light.

He did not know how long he had been standing there, just looking at the smoldering crater where the man once stood, when he heard the creature cry out again. He looked around and saw that the creatures had passed through the hole in the sky. The huge creature was moving back into the hole again. As soon as Grimmjow noticed that the hole was slowly shrinking in size, he sped up and without even thinking, leapt into the hole merely seconds before it closed once more.

Around him there was only darkness and the deafening cries of monsters who were traveling in the dark with him. Surprisingly the abyss around him felt warm and he found it strangely comfortable, like a cocoon shrouding him with familiar energy.

Yes, he was with his kind now.

He felt like he had finally come home.

Deep inside him, he felt as if he was forgetting something. There was a dull ache in his chest, as if he was moving farther and farther from something he held dear. However, as he moved deeper into the darkness, his humanity was slipping away from his grasp bit by bit. Memories faded like wisps of black mist that floated before him, though visions of the past felt foreign to him, as if they happened a million lifetimes away.

He freely surrendered his individuality, not bothering to hold on to his memories as they slowly disintegrated before his very eyes. He could not fathom then, why visions of innocent amethyst orbs and a small hand gripping a tiny fingerfloated through his mind, as solid and untouched as if the very memory was not merely inside his mind, but engraved into his very soul.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>Finally finished a fic! yey! This is dedicated to my new muse, BarbaritaS 3 hehehe Thank you for supporting my fics, you're not only a wonderful writer, you're an awesome reader too! ^_^ Again, sorry for the mess with the chapters, I really wanted the fic to be shorter. aaaaah, oh well... not any good with short fics then. Now that the fic is finished, please tell me how you feel, I'd really appreciate feedback. Will be creating a sequel to this, though it won't be happening very soon. Have to finish with other fics first. haha Well that was fun. I found that without having to worry about accuracy that much, I feel more freedom in terms of writing. Once I put up the sequel, I will edit this a bit to make it more polished and accurate, though I won't do it here in FFN because it doesn't allow me to just edit the fic without having to reupload. I'll probably put the polished version on my deviantart instead...


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